Jaylin Sellers has Found Resolve During a Trying Season
Under different circumstances, Jaylin Sellers would have been one of the best stories coming out of the Big East this year.
Maybe that’s a blind spot writers like me — who track this sport obsessively — need to check more often.
Stars on the winning teams catch all of the headlines — and that’s how it should be, in most circumstances. You win, you play well, you earn praise. That’s been the deal forever.
But maybe it shouldn’t have taken a two-game winning streak in late February, Providence quietly winning four of its last six, and Sellers continuing to score at such an elite clip for me to finally write this story.
This has undoubtedly been a season of adversity for everyone involved in Providence’s basketball program, but no one has faced more adversity than Jaylin Sellers — and it could be argued that no one has overcome it nearly as impressively.
His numbers are outstanding. Sellers is averaging 17.7 points (2nd in the Big East) and grabbing 4.0 rebounds per game, on ridiculous shooting splits: 48.1% FG, 87.4% FT, 42.5% 3PT.
The numbers are even more impressive in league play: 19.1 points per game on 42.7% from three and 49.6% from the field.
Sellers was terrific, once again, on Wednesday night against Xavier, scoring 27 points on 10-14 shooting from the floor and 4-6 beyond the arc to lead PC to victory.
In Providence’s last four wins, he is averaging nearly 27 points per game, including a career-high 36 points while carrying a shorthanded Friar bunch to a double overtime victory against Butler.
In a season in which head coach Kim English has played rotational musical chairs due to injuries and illnesses, Sellers has been a constant.
And he’s done so with a heavy heart after losing his best friend in the weeks leading up to the season.
English has frequently referred to players “not letting go of the rope” through countless crushing losses and challenging moments this year, and seemingly no one has held on tighter than Sellers.
Prior to the season, Sellers spoke of the bond he and English built as he worked through personal tragedy.
“I lost my best friend last month and Coach English showed me that he is (here) for the kids. He came down to the funeral and he put his arms around me through the process of me losing my best friend,” Sellers said.
“And even to this day, even the days that I have problems, or the days I may be crying on the sideline, he showed me he’s here for me.”
In turn, Sellers has never stopped fighting for English.
In last night’s 94-84 win over Xavier, Providence raced out to a 23-point lead, but saw Xavier cut it to 80-73 with six minutes to play.
In a season that’s included more than one late-game collapse, it got tense at the AMP.
But Sellers put this one away from there, burying a 25-footer after a timeout and scoring 10 points in short succession to end any hopes of a Xavier miracle.
After the win, Sellers was asked about his red-hot shooting from deep this season, “It’s just the confidence that he keeps instilling in me,” he said as he grabbed English’s shoulder at the press table. “He gets in the gym with me every day. My guys are also feeding me with confidence.”
It’s clear Sellers’ confidence isn’t wavering as March approaches. He’s playing as well as any guard in the Big East.
Maybe his story should have been told sooner. But it’s impossible to miss now: in a season that’s tested everyone at Providence, no one has answered the call more consistently than Jaylin Sellers.
Thanks for writing this Story about Jaylin Sellers , no doubt Jaylin is the foundation for the team, when Jaylin starts driving towards the basket everyone knows what’s going to happen the ball explodes thru Basket..and then you want to see the replay..
Sellers has been amazing in every game this year. It’s been a crazy year with all the injuries and games missed. Like I mentioned 2 weeks ago we could win our last 6 games. I’ll take the last 5 right now. Coach Kim will be back next year. Don’t believe the outside noise.